


Never Too Young, Never Too Old

by petalsandguitars



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurities, Post-Canon, Post-Movie, Worries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 17:04:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14453844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petalsandguitars/pseuds/petalsandguitars
Summary: For a married couple having lived their kind of life and afterlife, it was just a matter of time before doubts about their time apart would insinuate themselves in both Héctor and Imelda’s minds.





	Never Too Young, Never Too Old

**Author's Note:**

> You can find my Tumblr post for this here: https://fedecolombo.tumblr.com/post/173361831237/.
> 
> Trade to the prompt of something about Héctor and Imelda as a couple in the Land of the Dead with the both of them being uncomfortable about the age they died at when compared to the other’s.

It had been so long, so incredibly long, almost a century in fact, but there they were now.

Héctor and Imelda Rivera were now in their room, getting ready for bed.

Héctor had just gladly helped Imelda unbraid her long hair.

Héctor had then been rummaging in his closet just not to find what he was looking for so he asked Imelda if she had seen his pajama pants and turned to her for an answer only to have them thrown directly on his face.

Imelda let out a giggle at his surprised expression once his face wasn’t covered in his pants anymore and Héctor chuckled too, ‘Thanks.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Imelda replied and she looked at him intently, as he had done with her minutes before, as he removed his day pants to reveal long skeletal legs that were again hidden soon by his pajama ones.

They both found each other entrancing to look at as they had had when they were alive.

Imelda climbed into bed and adjusted herself against some pillows to be sitting rather than laying completely, and she picked up a book.

Héctor quickly joined her by her side, wearing only his pants, he never wore a shirt to bed, they _both_ felt there was really no need for it.

‘Imelda?’ Héctor said.

‘Hm?’ she looked up from the book and directly in his eyes.

‘You’re beautiful, my love,’ Héctor said with a rather stupid smile.

If Imelda could have blushed, she would have had, ‘W – why the sudden outburst, Héctor?’

‘Because it’s true,’ Héctor simply said.

‘But I’m a skeleton,’ Imelda protested with a grimace, if she had never missed her looks, things had changed once she had found her loving husband again.

‘As am I,’ Héctor said with a gentle smile, ‘you’re always beautiful to me, always been and always will be.’

Imelda couldn’t help but smile, she was at a loss for words.

Her smile faded though when he took between his fingers the streak of grey hair she had and twirled it almost curiously.

‘I wonder when I’d have gotten this too,’ he said absentmindedly, he seemed to be lost in some sort of reverie.

‘Héctor…’ Imelda started.

That snapped him out of his unfocused state, his attention was all hers now.

Imelda bit on her skeletal lip, ‘Do you ever think… that I’m too old for you?’

Héctor looked almost stunned for a moment then he laughed.

That was not at all the reaction Imelda had expected, even though she hadn’t been sure as to what to expect really, but somehow it threw her off enough for her to scowl at him.

‘Sorry!’ Héctor said when he saw her expression, ‘Sorry but, Imelda, you’re only one year older than me.’

‘When we were alive…’ Imelda said, ‘but you’re – ‘

Héctor was looking at her intently, hanging on her every word.

‘I’m?’ he prompted her.

‘I know you’re not twenty-one in your mind anymore, you’ve grown so much…’ Imelda said quickly, ‘but you have the energy of one for crying out loud, you – you really still seem yourself when – ‘

‘When I left…’ Héctor said, lowering his gaze.

‘Do not think about that anymore, Héctor, don’t,’ Imelda said firmly.

Héctor gave her a sad but grateful smile before his expression turned worried.

‘Héctor?’ Imelda said.

‘What about – Imelda, I might have grown here, I did, I’m a grandpa even, maybe a pretty young-minded one still,’ he said, ‘but what about all the experience with living you had that – that I will never know?’

‘What do you mean?’ Imelda asked, sincerely.

Héctor rubbed his arm nervously, ‘I’m like a kid compared to you…’

‘Oh Héctor,’ Imelda said, ‘do you think that your afterlife experiences count less than mine in the Land of the Living? Well, if that’s what you’re thinking, stop now.’

Héctor looked up at her, ribcage heaving hard in gratefulness then he smirked, surprising Imelda.

‘Then, my dearest Imelda, don’t you consider yourself old for me,’ he said, ‘you said it yourself, just now… both our experiences, in life for you and in death for me, they’re both valid, so we’re still just one year apart.’

Imelda had to smile at that, ‘You know, what you’re saying is actually the truth…’ then it was her turn to smirk, ‘you used to be slower in life.’

‘Hey!’ Héctor protested and Imelda laughed at his pout.

Héctor joined in quickly and wrapped his arms around her, he made themselves roll over on the bed to more giggles from Imelda, the book lay discarded at their side as they were now.

Héctor was laying completely on the bed with Imelda laying completely on top of him.

‘Te amo,’ Héctor said, a sweet smile on his face as he brushed her hair off hers, ‘muchisimo.’

‘Y yo también, mi músico querido,’ Imelda said with lidded eyes just as he had them.

Héctor leaned up and she leaned in and they kissed.

And they kissed and kissed, caressing each other for a long enough time to fall asleep right where they were, in each other’s arms.


End file.
